The countdown to African adventures is on!

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The pre-journey of my epic African journey has commenced!

After finally stuffing a ridiculous amount of literary, medical, toiletry and camping supplies (as well as 4 seasons of clothing) into my well-traveled back-pack in the early hours before my flight from Brisbane, I realised that my bag COULD actually go over-weight (something never achieved before). Luckily the lovely Etihad check-in chick seemed not to notice the 27.7kg flashing before her as I stood guiltily infront of her...
However I have now realised that AerLingus and Easy-jet (Ireland and Uk's answer to cheap ar*e airlines) will not be so accommodating...I've got the next week to contemplate the validity of a 'need' and 'want' during my overland trip through 30 countries in Africa.

I cant believe that it's been 4 years since I've lived in Ireland - it seems that nothing has changed. Good friends are still good company, blue sky is still a rare commodity, and all Irish still seemed shocked and appalled each day when it's cold and miserable!

It hasn't hit me that I will be arriving in Gibraltar in a little over a week, to commence an overland trek down the west coast of Africa through 16 countries, traveling on the back of a truck and camping through some of the poorest nations in the world. I haven't given much thought to what one should expect, as I want my approach to remain open to everything I will encounter...something I'm hoping will become habit along my travels.

I will be finishing in Cape Town on 11th August, then likely to travel back up East Coast and Middle East to finish in Istanbul (Turkey) on 5th January....happy for anyone with a sense of adventure to meet up with me anytime after my arrival in South Africa (so check your bank balance and get excited about some East African adventure)...

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